Fall in Prague 2011

It was warm when we arrived. T-shirt and jeans sort of weather. Not the crisp and bright air I expected. No room for fluffy scarves, leather boots and heavy wool coats. Dreams of sipping tea in a street side cafe looking through a foggy window was replaced with a picnic in the park and an endless afternoon of sunshine. But after a few days, the weather changed and the wind carried away the golden dried leaves that sat, listless just a few days before... these are a few pics from the beginning of the trip I took last year to Prague.

Autumn is my favorite season. Some people mourn the loss of summer, the darkness that arrives too soon in the evenings, the chill that consumes a warm breeze. As a child I welcomed the return of school, anticipated the coming months colored by pumpkin orange, fiery reds, deepest purple and indigo blues.

For me, Fall is where golden afternoon light casts long blue shadows on the pavement, and the morning air holds the crisp shock of a new day. I love when chartreuse leaves turn to amber, scarlet and deep purple plum. If I could capture all that the season means to me, I would have a worn paper box full of bright white skies, honeyed light, fuzzy memories, smoky smells, damp earth and a song that slowed to the pace of the fading afternoon glow.

Autumn

Autumn is without a doubt my favorite time of year. The shadows are long, the light is golden and there is a sharp crispness to the air. Ruby reds, oranges and golden hues arrive in the color of fallen leaves and winter produce. For me, October clearly marks the transition into cool mornings and cozy evenings at home. Halloween in my favorite holiday and I look forward to preparing a Thanksgiving meal. 

This weekend we went to the John Muir house in Martinez and the grounds were full unkempt orchards of forgotten fruit trees. Old withering grape vines crept low to the ground, their gnarled trunks winding toward one another.  Quince and apple trees laden with fruit drooped with the burden of their bounty. Toward the back of the property, old fig trees reached upward, their limbs bejeweled with ripe figs. I liberated a few of these fall fruits and brought them home to paint. Coupled with rose hips from a roadside bush, I thought these two plants were the epitome of what Autumn has to share. 

I look forward to spending this time of year cooking with my family, making jam and photographing my favorite season.

Fall Window at Anthro

The new Fall window is up and is all about local travel... 

The map on the window surface is actually of Berkeley!

I layered in details of things I like to do in the Bay Area. Of course, all of these details have some reference to my favorite eateries!

Thanksgiving Feast

Yesterday was spent preparing an Indian Feast. My boyfriend, Aaron, and I elected to spend the holiday together...just the two of us...and it was perfect!  We made samosas with several chutneys (including a cranberry chutney), chana daal patties, curried pumpkin soup and plantain curry with basmati rice. We drank homemade Chai throughout the day and finished our evening with ginger creme brulee. I think we'll do this every year. Its nice to have a day to ourselves before the rush of the Holiday Season. 

An Autumn Day at the Park

A perfect Autumn day spent running in the park. A favorite pastime of small children? Chasing geese of course.

This is Nadia's scary face.
This is Mila's attempt at a scary face. Nadia has always been good at making scary faces, Mila has yet to master it. It speaks to their ages, but also their moods!

Pumpkining, a Grand Opening and a New House

A busy, busy week. The Grand Opening at Maison Reve finally happened yesterday after so much hard work and long nights from our entire staff. Aaron and I signed a lease for our new house (more pics to come) after a couple of weeks of stress and worry, and we took the girls to the pumpkin patch (which was great). I am excited and exhausted!

Pumpkining

YEA!!!! Its October and I could hardly wait for the month to start so that I could go "pumpkining" (my favorite Fall time activity). We went to a Stanly Lane Marketplace in Napa which was beautiful! They have a pyramid and a maze built from hay, as well as pigs and cows.
Although the pumpkins are not grown there, the setting is picturesque and the variety is pretty good! I can't wait to carve some of these and make pumpkin soup!